Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-04-02

CONTENTS

Former prime minister Tzannis Tzannetakis passed away on Thursday at
the age of 82, at a hospital in Athens. Tzannetakis had briefly served
as premier between July and October 1989, as head of a coalition
government formed by New Democracy and a coalition of left-wing parties
that included the Communist Party of Greece (KKE).

The following announcement was issued by his office: "Former prime
minister Tzannis Tzannetakis passed away at the 'Errikos Dynan'
Hospital at 16.44 today. His funeral will talke place next week on a
day and at a time that will be communicated with another announcement."

The funeral will take place at 15:00 next Wednesday, April 7, at the
Metamorfoseos tou Sotiros church in Kefalari, Kifissia.

The president, prime minister and several Greek politicians and parties
made statements on Friday concerning the passing of Tzannetakis, who
also served as minister and was a senior member of the New Democracy
party.

President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias issued a statement saying
that Tzannetakis had linked his life with the history of the country,
consistently fighting for his beliefs and for democracy, and offering
his condolences to the late premier's family.

Prime Minister George Papandreou said that his death marked the loss of
a politician that had faithfully served his principles and had been a
devoted champion of democracy.

Honorary ND president Constantine Mitsotakis stressed in a statement
that Tzannetakis had served Greece and democracy with faith and
devotion, from whatever 'battlement' he had manned, always avoiding
pointless conflict and seeking synthesis and cooperation.

Statements regarding his death were also issued on Friday by Athens
Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis, ND MP Dora Bakoyannis, Thessaloniki Prefect
Panagiotis Psomiadis and the Central Political Committee of the
Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (SYN) party, which praised
him as a "sincere and mannerly politician that served his views with
moderation".

They were preceded by statements issued on Thursday night by main
opposition ND leader Antonis Samaras, who had described Tzannetakis as
a 'patrician' of politics, former ND leader Costas Karamanlis and
Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) leader George Karatzaferis.